Eliminate Solvent Handling from Polyolefin Analysis

The new High Temperature GPC-IR instrument from Polymer Char is specially designed for polyolefin analysis and provides its users with an advanced modular design, an improved detection stability and full automation of the analytical process. The fully automated operation process also eliminates the need of solvent handling.

The instrument takes care of the filling of the vials, sample dissolution, in-line filtering and injection process. There is no need at all of vials transfer at high temperature. The GPC-IR main body consists of a Columns Oven compartment, with a 0.01ºC control up to 220ºC, where the GPC columns are placed and isolated from the rest of the hardware; and on top of it, the separate Injector-Detectors Oven compartment, where Injection and Filtration Valves and detectors are installed.

The autosampler’s capability is 70 samples, with a heated zone for sample dissolution. Each sample vial stays at the heated compartment (up to 250ºC) only for its selected dissolution time. This capability combined with a gentle shaking avoids the thermal and shear degradation in the samples. The instrument can be configured as a quadruple detector system with: Infrared detector IR4 (with concentration and composition sensors), Viscometer, Light Scattering (DAWN® HELEOS™ II of Wyatt Technology) and, optionally the high sensitivity IR5 with a Mercury Cadmium Telluride infrared detector can be added for the analysis of very low levels of branching (e.g. analysis of HDPE Pipe resins).

GPC-IR Virtual Instrumentation Software provides instrument control and process monitoring. The new and comprehensive GPC One calculation and reporting software platform integrates all detector signals in a single package. Also SQC (Statistical Quality Control) tools are incorporated into the software, to help tracking the status of the instrument.